Hand strap



p 1948- v I E. c. MERSEREAU 2,449,307

HAND STRAP Filed July 26, 1947 IIIIIIJYIIIIIII "III/,IIII1IIAVIII ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 14, 1948 HAND STRAP Everard-C. Mersereau, StatenIsland, *N, gr as .-s ignorto,'1he Ellcon Company,.a corporationoi NewYork "Application July 26, 1947, Serial Nof' lfiiiiii'fi .8 Claims (01.ros -.3546

'.-"Iihis;invention;relates to hand straps of the kindicommonly providedin, subway, elevated, and suriace passenger cars fortheuse of standingpassengers. -More particularly, the invention is concerned lwith a novelhand strapwwhich is an-iinp ovement. in both appearance and constructionover prior similar hand straps.

int thepresentgtime, one form of hand strap in u fncludesanrattachingbracket secured to a par .oi the car, ahanger pivotally attachedtotandadependingirom the bracket, and a hand loop attached-to theireeend of the hanger. The handioop isrnade froma length' of tubing, andthe.freeend of the hanger has the. form of a .flatps trip. Theends ,ofttheloop are flattened, placed against opposite facesoi the flat stripendQfi h :maga inee d. ere y a pl r lity ofr-ivets With;this-construction,the smooth linesoi the hanger and loop are broken by the portionst-oitheseparts that are connected together,,.and. by-theheads of the rivets,that are visible. at, opposite faces of, the connection. -A1so, anu nber of operations are required to prepare the parts. to-be connected tother and to make the.actual,corniection.

. Thenew. handv strap includes a hanger pivotally attached ,toathe;bracket and havin a. hollowireeend. Tfhehanger is of increasing widthtowadits free end and preferably has flat parallel iaees joined. byoutwardly divergent curved end We a line-han o s e e a y made. i a nth,M l -ha he en o whichconverge nd enterrthe, openvend of the; hanger..Theloop is held inplace by having its ends clamped against thezinnensurfaces offlthe end walls of the hanger and. tor this purpose, avwedge. block-is placed between :the endsof: the loop and forced into thehanger by suitable means. The wedge block andtheends; of the loop haveinterengaging parts the blocklieswithin the end of the hanger andcloses, thespace between the ends of the loop. As ,result the loop-isheld securely in place andtha means for attaehing the looparelargelylconcealedand do. not detract from the ap-. pearanceofihe handstrap.

.,Eor,.a;better understanding of the invention, reference may be had tothe accompanying drawaain wh ch? dig .1 is ,a,=vi ew inside elevation,with parts broken-away, of, ahand strap embodying .the ine io ',-Fig.,.2 is a sectionalnview on the line 2-2 of- Eiam t on a ar s e;

ig; ,.3..is,.-an, end viewof a wedge block emlilwi dinit ne ih n s rap;and i r 1 "34 is "a -:sectiona1*/view.=: ontthe; :line le-l-tot Fig.3.

Therhand strapi inizthe forms shown -:in.-El'g. =2 1 includes anattachingibracketi H1, or whichlapart only is; :showmsand the'vbradketiis seeured: to ma suitable- :part :.of-. the :rcariand:ordinarilycprojects downwardly at an angle therefrom, alas. indicated;-Ashanger l l: isconneeted to thebraeket to swing about a pivot ipini I2,and therbracketwandfithe pivotal connection of the hanger thereto, arepreferably 1 of .1 the construction: shown in. Munro and Dilg Patent;'2,13'Z;622;- issued November-.22, 1938. i i

The hanger has ahollow lowerzend andvispref-Q erably formedwithopposedfiatracesl3, l4 con; nected .by. curvedwendiwalls! I15, i=6,whichldiverge toward theireeiend ,of: the hanger; 'Theqhandq strapincludesla hancl loop l'l whichmay ads; vantageously be-rormed "or a. v-length :of tubing bent to appropriateshape. :Tneends ofthe: loop enterthe open-endof the hanger-and are secured in places-by clampingrmeansinoiluding' a wedgeblock I-8, which" has: concave outer walls/L9, 2Bconforming. ageneraliy ato thee-urvature not the? tubing I 1. Thewedgeblockhas a recess r2l "in its larger: end and-a-:,passage 22 leadsthrough the: block: from" the bottom ofxthe. recess. bolt: 23 extendsthrough thev block and 1. is threaded intoaa projection 21 from the,inner wall'of the hanger. The heads-of the boltaengagesa the bot."tomwofrecess 12! aroundythe' passage". Aston 25 is formed ronitherinnerwall ofthehanger adjacent projection 24- and'one'end of. the loop Iiiabuts :the. stop. .Therblock, has transverse lugs 26 across;itsouterwalls and the opposed faces ofzthe. ends 10f" the. loop have:openings .--21,-. in-whic-hthe lugs are-received; r l

The connection of the lQopa-nd hanger iszef fectedg: asjfollows Thewedgeblock isvplac'ed be-, tween .the ends 10f athe; loops with its.lugs 26 in the: openings 21.? and'zthe l-oop ends andblock are insertedin. .the. open end. of the hanger. Bolt; 23 is passed? through:theblofckaand threaded-into projection:.24.. When the: bolt. istightened. the

b10Ck"m0VeS1 into the hanger, 3 drawing the; loop.

ends with: it,, untilmnea end Off. the. loop engages stop 25;Furtherytig htenmg; oi the bolt causesthe: block ,to move relatively"to'athe loop endsto force the ends'into tight. clamping; engagement withthewall of? the hanger; the: lugs 26 having suificientplay-in openings21:1:0 permit such: movementoftheblo'ck relatiuezto the::loop.. Theparts; are sol proportionedi thatpwheni the block: IIB; is in: tightclampingengagement withttheiendscofl theiloop the outemsuriacerofitheblOOkillEfifl-USIN Also, the

means for connecting the loop and hanger are concealed and the handstrap includes no rivets with exposed heads. The hanger and loop may beformed in a few operations'and the connection of the loop to the hangeris simple and effective.

I claim:

1. In a hand strap, the combination ofa hanger having means at one endfor reception of a pivot, the other end of the hanger being open" andhaving opposed inwardly convergent walls, a hand loop of rigid tubularmaterial having its end portion entering the open end of the hangerbetween 'said walls, a wedgeblock between the endportions of theloop,the block and the end portions of the loop having interengaging parts,and means engaging the hanger and block and dpe'rableto apply pressurethrough the block to clamp the end p ort'ions of the loop between theblock and said 'walls and to hold said parts in engagement.

' 2; In a hand strap,'the combination of a hanger having means at oneend-for reception of a pivot, the other end of the hanger being open andhaving opposed inwardly convergent walls, a hand loop of rigid tubularmaterial having its end portions entering the open end. of the hangerbetween saidwalls, a wedge block between the end portions of the loop,the block and the end portions of the loop having interengaging parts,and a bolt passing through the block and intoa portion of the hanger}the head of the bolt engaging the block-and the bolt'being operable tocause the block' to clamp the eridportions of the loop between the blockand said walls and to hold said parts in engagement. I

3. In a hand str'apgthe combination of a hanger having means at one endfor reception'of a pivot, the other end of the hanger being open andhaving opposed inwardly convergent walls, a hand loop of rigid tubularmaterial having its end portions entering the open end of the hangerbetween said walls, a wedge'block between the end'portions of theloop,the block and the end portions of the loop having interengaging parts, astop-within the hanger for'limiting inward movement of th'e loop endportions, and means engaging the hanger and block and operable to applypressure through the block to clamp the end portions of the loop betweenthe block and said walls and to hold said-parts in engagement. 4.In'a'hand strap, the combination of a hanger having means at one end forreception of a pivot, the other end of the hanger being open and havingopposed inwardly convergent concave walls, a hand loop of rigid tubularmaterial of circular cross-section having its end portions entering theopen r end of the hanger between said walls, a wedge block between the.end portions of the loop, the block having concave walls engaging thesurfacesof the end portions of the loop and the block and-theendportions of the loop having interengaging parts, and means engaging-thehanger and block and operable to move the block into the hanger andthereby clamp the end portions of the loop between the 4 block and saidwalls and to hold said parts in engagement.

5. In a hand strap, the combination of a hanger having means at one endfor reception of a pivot, the other end of the hanger being open andhaving opposed inwardly convergent walls, a hand loop of rigid tubularmaterial having its end portions entering the open end of the hangerbetween 'said' walls, a wedge block between the end portions of theloop, the block and the end portions of the loop having interengagingparts, an inward projection from one wall of the hanger at a pointspaced from the open end, a stop within the hanger for engagement by oneend of the loop, and a bolt passin through the block and threaded intothe projection, the head of thebolt engaging the block and the blockclamping the end portions of the loop between the block and said walls.

6. In a hand strap, the combination of a hanger having means at one endfor reception of'apivot, the other end of the hanger being openand'having opposed. inwardly convergent walls, a hand loop of rigidtubular material having its end por-' tions entering the open end of thehangerbetween said walls, wedge block between the end portions of theloop, and meansengaging the hanger and block and operable toapply-pressure through the block to olampthe end portions of the loopbetween the block and said wallsj'the opposite walls of the wedge blockengaging-the inside of the end portions of the loop for substantiallytheir entire length and having a con cavity conforming to the contour ofthe end portions of the loop with which'they engage, whereby a surfacecontact between'said block and the end portions of the loop is'provided,the outside of the end portions of the loop'havingfa'con-j vergencyconforming to that of the convergent walls of the hanger so that anextended contact between the end portions of the loop and saidconvergent walls of the hangerisbbtained. 7. 'In a hand strap, thecombination of a hanger having means at one end for reception of apivot,

the other end of the hanger being openand having opposed inwardlyconvergent walls, a hand loop of rigid tubular materialfrhavin'g its endportions entering the open'end'of the hangerbetween said walls, a wedgeblock between-the end portions of the loop, a stop within the hanger"-for limiting inward movement of the loop ends, and means engaging thehanger and blocl and operable to apply pressure through the block ,tojclamp the end portions of the loop between the block and said walls,theopposite walls of the wedge block engaging the inside of the end ar-1tions of the loop for substantially their entire length and having aconcavity conforming to the contour of the end portions of the loop withwhich they engage, whereby a surface contactbetween said block and theend portions of theloop is provided, the outside of the-end portions ofthe loop having a oonvergency conforming to that of the convergent wallsof the hanger so" that an extended contact between the end-per tions ofthe loop and said convergent walls of the hangerisobtained. r V '7 8. Ina hand strap, the combination of a hanger having means at one end forreception of a pivot, the other end of the hanger being open and havingopposed inwardly convergent walls. a hand loop of rigid tubular materialhaving its. end portions entering the open end of the'hanger" betweensaid walls, a wedge block betweenthe end portions of the loop, an'inwardprojection;

from one wall of the hanger at a point spaced from the open end, a stopwithin the hanger for engagement by one end of the loop, and a boltpassing through the block and threaded into the projection, the head ofthe bolt engaging the block and the block clamping the end portions ofthe loop between the block and said walls, the opposite walls of thewedge block engaging the inside of the end portions of the loop forsubstantially their entire length and having a concavity conforming tothe contour of the end portions of the loop with which they engage,whereby a surface contact between said block and the end portions of theloop is provided, the outside of the end portions of the loop having aconvergency conforming to that of the convergent walls of the hanger sothat an extended a 6 contact between the end portions of the loop andsaid convergent walls of the hanger is obtained.

EVERARD C. MERSEREAU.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 250,112 Truitt Nov. 29, 1881913,160 Pride Feb. 23, 1909 924,124 Worcester June 8, 1909 995,643Wiedenbeck June 20, 1911 15 1,256,824 Olson Apr. 9, 1917 1,796,738Wagner Jan. 13, 1930 2,137,622 Munro et a1 Feb. 17, 1938

